Conifer

Local-first least cost routing system to reduce 80%+ token spend

YC Summer 2026Artificial IntelligenceB2BSecurity

About Conifer

Conifer is one app that connects you to every AI model (local and cloud) and automatically routes each request to the cheapest model that accomplishes your goal. Most requests run free on your own hardware, so teams cut their AI bill by ~80% while replacing a dozen provider contracts with one interface and one invoice. For sensitive material like financials or user data, a secure mode pins everything on-device with no external API calls.

Founder

  • Michael Jeffords

    Founder

    Co-founder at Conifer (YC S26). Previously co-founded The HeartCheck Foundation, scaling free hypertension screenings to 20+ barbershops and over 10,000 individuals. Engineered an ML-driven computer vision pipeline using pose estimation for early-onset ALS and Parkinson's detection. Former clinical researcher at the Dell Med Institute of Vascular Surgery and UTHSC, specializing in hematopoetic stem cell transplantation, achieving infiltration levels >90% in mouse models.

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